All-new Ford Focus is first car to introduce lighting technology that reads road signs and lane markings to match headlight beams to what lies ahead, or even around the corner

System better illuminates cyclists and pedestrians at junctions and roundabouts, responds more quickly than relying on driver steering inputs to support safer night time driving

System also avoids reliance on GPS that may not accurately reflect changes to road layouts. All‑new Ford Focus illuminates curves in road ahead before driver needs to turn

Night driving is a source of worry for many people. New lighting technologies introduced by Ford are designed to make getting behind the wheel after dark a more comfortable and potentially safer experience.

For the all-new Ford Focus, the company is the first manufacturer to introduce technology that uses road signs and lane markings as the cue to adjust headlight beams that better illuminate the road ahead. This might be to widen the beam when approaching a roundabout so that drivers are able to see pedestrians and cyclists at the kerbside more easily.

Rather than depending on GPS mapping, which does not always reflect the latest road layout changes, the new system offers real-world warning of what lies ahead. By harnessing camera and lighting technologies, Ford’s new Adaptive Front Lighting System tracks lane markings so that it can direct headlamps into curves before the driver has even turned the wheel.

“The dream is that night driving need be no more difficult than driving in the day. Our latest lighting technologies are part of our plan to make that a reality,” said Michael Koherr, lighting research engineer, Ford of Europe. “Across Europe 15 per cent of road layouts change every year. Amazingly useful as GPS is, using signs to read the road offers the most up-to-date information you can get.”

The front facing camera on the Ford Focus already supports technologies that help drivers keep the vehicle centred in the lane, maintain a comfortable driving distance from vehicles ahead and warn drivers against driving the wrong way onto a motorway. Mounted on the inside of the windscreen, below the rear-view mirror, it can monitor road signs and markings up to 65 metres ahead, enabling the system’s dynamic bending function to come into play much sooner than if only reliant on steering inputs.

Further functions of the Adaptive Front Lighting System include preventing drivers from dazzling others on the road using the Glare-Free Highbeam function, lighting technology that removes the guilt of accidentally dazzling other drivers – and that helps you to see more of the road ahead. The technology avoids drivers having to dip their headlights by simply blocking those rays that would otherwise shine in the eyes of other road-users. Studies have shown that automated high-beam headlights are activated up to 10 times more than when drivers have to switch to high-beam themselves.

Among many other advanced lighting projects, Koherr and his team are now developing new spot lighting technology that uses an infra-red camera to locate and track people, cyclists and bigger animals up to 120 metres away.

# # #

* Poll conducted for Ford by Opinion Matters from a sample of 5,030 drivers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the U.K.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 201,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Ford of Europe

is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 54,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 69,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and eight unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.